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India Homestays Videos

Mahindra Homestays — Thu, 19 Aug 2010 05:00:19 +0000

You’ve read all about the India homestays experience, discovered unique activities you can enjoy in homestays and seen the pictures. Now you can also get a guided video tour from the hosts allowing you discover what a homestay is really like.

We’ve been talking to homestay hosts all across India, asking them to open their doors to share their beautiful homes with us. We’ve also gathered together videos from travellers who’ve shared their homestay experiences on video. Use the links below to view the videos on our You Tube page.

India Homestays Videos

Kaits Home Homestay in Alleppey Backwater
Pierce Residency Homestay in Alleppey Town
The Homestead Homestay in Corbett
The Estate Homestay in Delhi
Banyan Tree Homestay Delhi
BnB Haree Shankar Homestay in Delhi
Arco Iris Homestay in Goa
Stainglass Cottage Homestay in Goa
Jai Vilas Homestay in Jaipur
Garden Valley Homestay in Nainital
Planter’s Retreat Homestay in Palakkad
Castle Bera in Pali
Palm Court Homestay in Rajasthan
Madhu Bhavan Homestay in Rajasthan
Pahuna Haveli Homestay in Udaipur, Rajasthan

Pahuna Haveli Homestay in Udaipur

All the above homestays can be found on the Mahindra Homestays website where you can check rates and availability.

Discover India Videos

Rajasthan, India
Delhi, India
Himalayan Region, India
Kerala, India

India Homestays Experiences Videos

Lunch at a homestay in Kerala
Canada traveller talks about India experience and homestays
Visitors on the Homestay experience

Have you visited one of our India homestays? If you have, make a video talking about your experiences and send it to us at online@mahindrahomestays.com and if we feature it on this page we will send you a prize.

Watch India Homestays Videos

Opening the door to India – download your free brochure

Mahindra Homestays — Thu, 01 Jul 2010 10:49:33 +0000

Download your free brochure

Format PDF | Size 5.6 Mb

India is a country which imprints an unforgettable impression on visitors through its food, sights, sounds and most importantly, its people.

Staying in a property owned and run by a family, whether it be a palace or heritage estate;a colonial hilltop cottage or cosy plantation home, is a great way to find out more about (and be part of) everyday life in India.

Choosing a homestay allows your experience of India to be up close and personal. Choosing Mahindra Homestays ensures the highest quality, safety and comfort for the most discerning of guests.

Our new homestay brochure is available to download and is packed with inspirational images and ideas to help you plan your perfect trip.

With advice on when to visit, how to get to the most popular destinations and what unique experiences you might encounter the Mahindra Homestays brochure contains plenty of information for anyone planning a trip to or within India.

Get a free gift this summer when you book a homestay

Eureka! Wanderlust Awards Mahindra Homestays For Innovation

luke — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 12:54:34 +0000

Mahindra Homestays has been announced winner of Wanderlust magazine’s Eureka – Travel Innovation award.

The news was revealed at London’s prestigious Destinations Holiday & Travel Show this morning.

Wanderlust, a highly regarded global travel publication, created the award specially to recognise the groundbreaking development of Mahindra Homestays’ offering.

A spokesperson for Mahindra Homestays said: “This is very significant for Mahindra Homestays in the UK market and another excellent media endorsement for the Mahindra Homestays brand. We are extremely proud and delighted to be acknowledged.”

To find out more about Mahindra Homestays, visit our main site.

Follow our ‘real India’ travel blog and connect with us on Facebook and Twitter.

[Update 08.02.10]

UK Representative Alison Cryer accepting the prize at the awards ceremony from Editor in Chief Lyn Hughes

UK Representative Alison Cryer, who collected the award on behalf of Mahindra Homestays commented:

“It was clear when preparing to launch Mahindra Homestays in the UK that this was a new and unique concept that provided both a credible and more sustainable alternative to hotel accomodation, as well as local knowledge and a truly Indian experience for guests directly benefitting local communities. There has been huge interest since then and we are delighted that the unique qualities that each Mahindra Homestay brings to travelling to India have been recognised by Wanderlust.”

Tweets Of The Week: India Travel On The Web Round-Up 4

luke — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 19:17:51 +0000

Ravangla Man, Sikkim

This wonderful capture of a man at Ravangla market, Sikkim, leaped out at us this week. It was taken by Sukanto Debnath of Hyderabad. Sukanto says “Photography is a hobby and Flickr is an addiction. It’s mostly when I go for vacations, I take photographs. And then I take photographs like crazy…almost non stop. I love Sikkim and Nepal. Every year I try to spend at least few days there. I mainly do environmental candid portraits.” Sukanto is also a talented concept artist – see his Doodles N Drawings blog.

We also liked…

How to wrap a turban
Last week we posted Wrapping A Sari, this week Beth Whitman at WanderlustAndLipstick.com is sharing her Wrapping A Turban video. Beth’s post includes a photo of – legend has it – Rajasthan’s most photographed man. See what he looks like.

Varanasi views
More photographic goodness. The World Effect travelogue takes the reader on a journey down the Ganges river, Varanasi, in part one, and then through its narrow roads and alleys in part two.

The corkscrew minarets
Madhu and Savita, who are on an 18 month trip around India and surrounding countries, were recently in Gujarat. They posted photos from the mesmerising, though sadly decaying, Bahauddin Makbara in Junagadh. Read more of their blog.

Honest appraisal of a houseboat tour
Dave and Deb bought the Kerela backwater experience after hearing so much about it. Here they give a balanced review of the things they liked, and the things they didn’t.

Nine day India tour
Lee Harrison of the UK’s Select World Travel shares his photo album after a tour of the ‘Golden Triangle’ of Delhi, Jaipur and Agra.

Best beaches in India?
Finally we enjoyed About.com (and sometimes Mahindra Homestays) writer Sharell Cook’s pick of India’s top beaches. Do you agree with these?

We love sharing links and conversation on Twitter and Facebook. If you do to, don’t be shy to send us a message!

Ajmer Accommodation: New Homestay In Rajasthan

luke — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 14:06:29 +0000

Photo: Koshyk

We now have Ajmer accommodation. If you’re planning a trip to Rajasthan, read on.

Ajmer is a spiritual centre and a connection point between other places in Rajasthan, such as Jaipur and Udaipur. But it is also an interesting and attractive city in its own right.

Most visit Ajmer on their way to Pushkar, home of the famous camel fair only six miles down the desert road. Yet many will tell you – Ajmer is worth spending some time in, particularly if you like to get off the tourist trail. The city’s Dargah Sharif tomb and the backstreet bazaars are of particular interest.

What makes an Ajmer stay even more inviting is the fact Mahindra Homestays has now added The Villa to its network – it’s one of the biggest residential properties in the entire city, with sprawling lawns and gushing fountains. This Ajmer accommodation is a treat.

With four rooms in the garden-facing west wing, a separate cottage and a set of rooms with a terrace balcony, there is plenty to choose from and plenty of space. The proud Maholtra family have been successfully running this homestay for eight years and they have kitted it out with all the facilities you could need.

Go over to our main site and see the photos in larger format. You’ll soon get a sense of The Villa’s relaxing environment and mountain surrounds. Or read more about Ajmer itself.

Bangalore Business Hotel? Homestays Now Available

luke — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 13:46:50 +0000

Bangalore business hotel? Photo: bharatte

Trendy Bangalore is known as India’s Silicon City and attracts thousands of business travellers each year.

If you’re a sophisticated executive who’s grown tired of sterile hotels and cold, cultureless trips, then we have some good news: Mahindra Homestays are now in Bangalore; business hotels are no longer a necessity.

Hear our recent podcast about why homestays make sense for business travellers, or if you want some more details on our Bangalore offering read on.

Our premiere Bangalore homestay is 8^th Central, a three-story home in the city’s friendly, leafy old town. It has large glass windows that allow the rooms to be bathed in natural light, and a large lounge area within the guest room with sofas, phone, internet access and TV.

Bangalore homestay

It’s just 30 kms from the airport and right next to the train station, making it a highly convenient base. The hosts are a well-travelled South Indian family who’ll be happy to share a cup of masala chai with you and help out with navigating the city and its attractions.

If you’re feeling energetic after a hard day’s work, there’s even a gym space set up with weights and cardio equipment.

Read more about 8^th Central, and if you’re planning a trip get your booking in quickly.

This homestay is likely to be popular among those looking for a warm alterative experience to a Bangalore business hotel.

Photo Of The Month Gets Bigger

luke — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 13:33:47 +0000

India Photo of the Month

Our popular Facebook Photo of the Month contest – where people submit their themed India images and users vote for their favourite – is spreading its reach.

Following requests from followers, we’ve decided to increase the ways that people can take part. We took a break in November to plan some improvements, and this is what we’re now doing.

We’re still asking you to submit images according to a monthly theme. The difference is, now you can do so on Flickr and Twitter as well as Facebook.

This widens the pool of photos, gets more people involved and increases the interest in India photography.

Photo: Shermee

So how does judging work? It’s still decided by you.

After the submission deadline passes each month (roughly around the middle) we’ll be putting up a shortlist of three or four photos – with links to their owners – and asking you to pick a winner using our neat polling system.

And while the contest is mainly for fun and inspiration, we’ll still be sending a £10 Amazon voucher to the chosen winner as a token.

We’re looking forward to spreading this out and welcoming some new participants. If you have any queries, just ask.

This month’s contest
This month our theme is simply Goa. We wanted to mark the arrival of several new Goa homestays with something special, so we’re looking for one photo from you that says something you like about India’s top tourist spot.

On Facebook? Just post your image to the wall as usual

On Flickr? Add your image to the Photo of the Month group

On Twitter? Tweet the image and include our Twitter name @indianhomestays plus the hashtag #indiaphoto

That’s it!

The deadline for entries is 14 December 2009.

India Best Value For Money Says World Country Survey

luke — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 09:09:04 +0000

India Best Value For Travellers - Photo: Pictiurfear

An important annual study of what the world thinks about its different countries has just been published – and India scores highly in several categories.

The Country Brand Index brings together a broad range of data, from expert opinion to statistics and economic information. It then organises the findings into ‘brand league tables’ under different subjects, such as brand awareness, history and culture, safety and ease of travel.

India ranks number one for ‘best country brand for value for money’, as reported in the Economic Times.

It also scores highly in ‘Most authentic’ (2nd), ‘History’ (2nd) and ‘Arts and culture’ (3rd).

These rankings are out of 102 countries across the globe.

The survey classes India as one of the world’s ‘rising stars’ and says its status as a popular traveller destination is likely to soar in the next five years.

These findings make happy reading for Mahindra Homestays since they support our core mission: to provide travellers with a genuine feel for the real India – a more enriching experience with the highest levels of comfort and local knowledge, all at an affordable cost. See our post on why homestays beat hotels for more.

Kerala Honeymoon Package: India Homestay Special For Newlyweds

luke — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 17:49:52 +0000

Kerala honeymoon - Photo: mckaysavage

Wedding season is coming in India, and to mark the start of it we’re offering an attractive new Kerala honeymoon package.

Our gift to newlyweds is an irresistible 30% discount on our normal tariff, available on two fine Mahindra Homestays properties that make ideal honeymoon accommodation.

The Kerala honeymoon package is a room for two guests, for four nights, including breakfast and dinner during the entire length of stay. It’s INR 14,000 and applicable to stays before 31 March 2010.

Guests can enjoy the plantations and exhilarating mountain lands of Munnar and the lazy backwaters and paddy fields of Alleppey.

Ranger Woods

In Munnar, we have Ranger Woods Homestay. Surrounded by spice trees, this private homestay gives over its first floor to guests who’ll enjoy a comfortable and relaxing space with en-suite bathroom and terrace balcony. Trekking, tribe visits and the incredible Attukadu waterfalls are among the things-to-do here – and there’s plenty more on offer if that’s not enough.

Vembanad House

In Alleppey, we have Vembanad House. This idyllic homestay is set in 10 acres of beautiful surrounds and features four beautiful guest rooms, which are serene, spacious and each come with their own open air seating area. Lie back under the gazebo and listen to India’s most diverse birds. The home’s divine meals are prepared with Ayurvedic touches by Sandhya, a former yoga trainer, who has years of experience in the field of spirituality. This homestay has featured in publications like Vogue and Brunch.

Bookings for the Kerala honeymoon package can only be made through our call centre.

Our telephone number in India 18004252737. Our UK number is (020) 31408422.

Conditions apply.

Goa Holiday Information – More Accommodation Options

luke — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 17:07:59 +0000

More information for those considering an authentic and value-added Goa holiday.

Last week we reported how we’ve expanded our network in Goa and revealed Capella, a beautiful homestay property in the hills of North Goa yet only 20 minutes from the popular beaches.

This week we’ve got two more Goa holiday options to consider, with some nice interior photos to give a sense of the homes and some information about their location.

Both homestays are in the small, old colonial city of Panjim. Panjim is a great choice if you want a Goa holiday experience without the package-holidaymakers that often come with it. It’s a charming place boasting its own Latin Quarter, old town and palm-fringed beach. The Portuguese influence is still evident in lots of its architecture, making it a pleasant place to walk around and soak up history.

Our homestay hosts will, as usual, fill you in with all the tales and heritage insights that you’d like to hear.

Antonio Gomes and his wife, whose fine homestay sits proudly in the heart of Panjim’s Latin Quarter, have a rich historical family background to share with interested guests. Their homestay, half-an-hour from the airport, gives over an entire first floor to guests and is full of ancestral furniture. Read more about Vivenda Gomes Pereira.

Also in Latin Quarter, near the Panjim canal, is Casa Da Morada – owned by another Gomes family. Aloo and his wife are a cheerful couple with two young sons and a passion for Goan art. Their homestay is nestled among the other graceful houses this historical ‘Fountain Has’ area, yet offers plenty of space for visitors, with the whole ground floor dedicated to guests’ comfort and privacy.

You can read lots more about these options on our pages about homestays in Goa, but first take a look at a selection of photos from these properties…